Ixef® PARA at the core of Thoracic Innovations’ BlueBridge sternal spacer, now in use with patients
Syensqo, a leading global provider of high-performance materials, has worked with medical device innovator Thoracic Innovations on its BlueBridge Modular Sternal Spacer, a device designed to support patients following complex heart and chest surgery.
Following complex cardiothoracic procedures, surgeons may need to temporarily leave a patient’s chest open before it can be safely closed, making it essential to maintain appropriate spacing and stability during this period.
Thoracic Innovations developed BlueBridge as a standardized, purpose-designed solution to help healthcare teams manage the patients in intensive care with a modular, adjustable design that can be secured to the chest wall to maintain appropriate mediastinal space, protect the heart and provide stability until final chest closure can take place.
To meet the demanding requirements of the application, Thoracic Innovations selected Ixef® PARA GS-1022 BU01, a 50% glass-fiber reinforced polyarylamide. The material provides the strength, stiffness, and dimensional stability required for the device while allowing precise and efficient molding of its components. Ixef® PARA is also compatible with imaging modalities often required in cardiothoracic patients, such as chest X-ray, coronary angiography, CT scan and MRI.
Syensqo worked closely with Thoracic Innovations throughout the development process, providing expertise in material selection as well as technical and regulatory support to help bring BlueBridge into clinical use.
Syensqo was an important partner as we developed BlueBridge, helping us navigate material selection throughout the design’s evolution and providing the technical and regulatory information we needed. Ixef® PARA gives us the combination of strength, precision and healthcare material performance required for this demanding application.
Our collaboration with Thoracic Innovations demonstrates how material expertise can contribute from the earliest stages of medical device development. By working closely with their team, we were able to identify Ixef® PARA as the right fit for the evolving application and support them with the technical and regulatory information needed along the way.
BlueBridge is commercially available in the United States and has been used in more than 100 patients undergoing complex cardiothoracic procedures. The collaboration reinforces Syensqo’s commitment to helping medical device innovators translate new concepts into practical healthcare solutions through advanced materials, technical expertise, and regulatory support.
Ixef® is a registered trademark of Syensqo.
Syensqo is a science company developing groundbreaking solutions that enhance the way we live, work, travel and play. Inspired by the scientific councils which Ernest Solvay initiated in 1911, we bring great minds together to push the limits of science and innovation for the benefit of our customers, with a diverse, global team of approximately 13,000 associates in 30 countries.
Our solutions contribute to safer, cleaner, and more sustainable products found in homes, food and consumer goods, planes, cars, batteries, smart devices and health care applications. Our innovation power enables us to deliver on the ambition of a circular economy and explore breakthrough technologies that advance humanity.
Learn more at www.syensqo.com.
Thoracic Innovations develops medical technologies for complex cardiothoracic care. Its BlueBridge Modular Sternal Spacer is a purpose-designed, adjustable device for temporary sternal separation and chest-wall stabilization during delayed sternal closure.
Learn more at https://thoracicinnovations.com/
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With over 30 years of experience providing high-performance polymers to the healthcare industry, Syensqo has the expertise and product portfolio that medical device and equipment OEMs require. From surgical instruments and sterilization cases to single-use devices and medical equipment housings and components, our advanced material solutions are ideal for a variety of healthcare applications.